


Read me a story

by Nami



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Fluff and Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-16
Updated: 2018-05-16
Packaged: 2019-05-07 22:28:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,028
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14680758
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nami/pseuds/Nami
Summary: Gladio has a lovely reading voice: deep, a little husky, which makes Noctis’s stomach clench in a pleasant way.





	Read me a story

**Author's Note:**

> The story below is just a headcanon which turned into three mini-ficlets. It was my first Glandoct story originally posted on my tumblr [here](http://firebyfire.tumblr.com/post/163762646408/its-not-that-noctis-finds-all-obligatory-reading), [here](http://firebyfire.tumblr.com/post/163794123683), and [here](http://firebyfire.tumblr.com/post/163796275673). I thought I could post it here too ^^
> 
> Not beated.

_Part I:_

It’s not that Noctis finds all obligatory reading books boring. Some of them are not so bad, there are a few titles he honestly enjoyed. Yet, Noctis refuses to read any of them.

Instead, he tells Gladio about “ _another stupid book we have to read_ ” and “ _what is this even about, it doesn’t make sense, I fell asleep after four first pages”._ It doesn’t take long for Gladio to say in an indignant tone of voice that “’The northern wind and broken glasses _’ is a classic!”._ Not long after that Gladio crashes at Noctis’s apartment armed with a book Noctis have to read and cups of noddles, forces Noctis to sit next to him on the sofa, and starts reading.

Of course Noctis tries to fight but he gives up quickly, always. Gladio has a lovely reading voice: deep, a little husky, which makes Noctis’s stomach clench in a pleasant way. Gladio doesn’t mind when Noctis leans against him and puts his head on Gladio’s shoulder. He sometimes interrupts to ask questions; Gladio always provides all answers and more without a hint of sarcasm in his voice. 

Noctis loves when Gladio reads to him. 

But he loves it much more when he pretends to be asleep and Gladio stops reading, presses a kiss against Noctis’s forehead and goes back to the book, leaning his head against Noctis’s own.

* * *

_Part II:_

At the beginning Noctis pretends he doesn’t want to listen to Gladio reading him books. He sits on the other side of the couch and plays with his phone, waiting for Gladio to huff and then reach for him, pulling him closer, and groaning about spoiled princeling who is not going to fail his classes if Gladio can prevent it. 

For a moment Noctis lets himself enjoy the feeling of that strong arm around himself before scowling and pushing himself away from Gladio, making sure he looks annoyed enough but not too much so Gladio won’t get annoyed. After all Noctis wants them to spend time together.

He knows Gladio wants that too.

After a few times Noctis starts to sit closer to Gladio who doesn’t comment on that. A few more meetings and it’s the most natural thing in the world for Noctis to lean against Gladio’s side, to put his head on Gladio’s shoulder and whisper questions straight into soft skin on Gladio’s throat, enjoying how he makes Gladio shiver. Soft kisses against Noctis’s forehead start not long after that. They make Noctis’s blood boil, his magic buzzing with excitement, but he forces himself to pretend to be asleep, to not destroy these lovely meetings they have.

Noctis doubts Gladio would ever again stay with him alone if he knew about Noctis’s feelings. 

Or if he knew that Noctis knows about Gladio’s feelings for himself.

(Yet, sometimes, when he feels bold enough, Noctis throws his leg onto Gladio’s lap while pretending to be asleep, practically laying on his Shield. He’s difficult to be pushed back, holding onto Gladio tight and Gladio spends some time to put him gently on the couch, without waking him up.

Gladio’s hands always stay a little too long on Noctis’s body, reluctant to pull back. Noctis feels Gladio’s breath on his face, the warmth of that big body above him while he’s laying on his back and it takes all of his strength to  _not_  do anything. 

The next day Gladio doesn’t exactly meet Noctis’s gaze and Noctis knows that Gladio feels guilty, that he must think he has used Noctis without realizing that it’s Noctis who is in fact using him.

It hurts to see Gladio feeling bad because of something Noctis does.

It doesn’t mean Noctis will stop.)

When Noctis closes his eyes he can pretend that the love confession Gladio is reading about right now it’s for him, for Noctis. He can pretend that any moment now Gladio will kiss him, long, and sweet, and a little desperate, and Noctis will whisper his own love confession back between kisses, between “ _more_ ” and “ _please_ ”, engraving his feelings into Gladio’s very soul with his touch.

This is something Noctis can never have though.

So he tells himself it’s fine. It’s fine to just know about Gladio’s feelings, to know that in any other life, if he wasn’t the Prince and Gladio wasn’t the Shield, his feelings would be returned. It’s fine to spend long evenings together, with a blanket over their legs, half-dimmed lights and mugs with tea made from sweet herbal mix from the little shop around the corner. It’s fine to be able to touch Gladio in one of the most innocent ways possible.

It’s fine.

Noctis doesn’t have a choice but to believe in that.

* * *

_Part III:_

Gladio knows Noctis pretends to be asleep.

He’s good at it, Gladio gives him that, but Gladio has spent years watching Noctis sleep, he knows when Noctis fakes it: his breath is too deep, his body too relaxed. Noctis doesn’t even know how often he is tense when he sleeps, not relaxed at all.

(It breaks Gladio’s heart every time he sees his Prince not being able to rest even in his dreams.)

Gladio knows about it yet he doesn’t stop Noctis. He should. By Six, he should. Noctis is promised to someone else, they have their roles to fullfil and yet… yet… 

One day he’s going to tell Noctis to stop, that  _they_  should stop, that it’s wrong of them to continue with this charade which only hurts them in the long run - a bittersweet mix of something what they can never have, but they can pretend to have for a few hours. There are days when Gladio cannot even  _look_  at Noctis because he’s afraid of what he would do.

Of what he would want to do.

Yet, he goes back to Noctis’s apartment for their meetings even if it gets harder and harder to leave Noctis later, to not reach for him when Noctis so obviously wants it.

Gladio tells himself one day he’s going to break off this arrangement. 

He doesn’t want to think how much he would disappoint his father with that lie.

 

 


End file.
